Eating Disorders: Navigating Recovery

In this digest, Francis and Catherine reflect on their conversation with Misti Anderson, contributor to Catherine's book, Hope for Recovery: Stories of Healing from Eating Disorders. They discuss the intersection of eating disorders and addiction and how people in recovery from both addiction and eating disorders can support one another. Francis also reflects on how his eating disorder challenged...

Welcome back! In Part Two of Catherine and Francis’s conversation with Misti Anderson – a contributor to Catherine’s book Hope for Recovery: Stories of Healing from Eating Disorders – Misti discusses how support in uncommon or unlikely places (in her case, a colleague with their own challenging experiences) can often help remain or get back on the road to recovery; talks about the intersection of...

Welcome to Episode 45 of Eating Disorders, Navigating Recovery! As always, we’re grateful for your listenership and interest in this important topic. We’re thrilled to introduce Misti Anderson, who joins the program with a story of struggle, recovery, and hope. Misti is a former chemistry teacher and currently works in science ethics and policy. In her teens she struggled with bulimia and, while i...

In this week's digest, Catherine and Francis reflect on their conversation with Dr. Kim Daniels, a licensed clinical psychologist and online coach with practices in Hartford, Connecticut. The co-hosts explore further the differences between "overeating," emotional eating, and binge eating, and discuss how subjective binges differ from objective binges and ultimately how these experiences may impac...

In Part 2, Kim talks about the morality of food (chocolate as sinful, lowfat versions as angelic) and our culture's celebration of restriction. She also discusses body image and the limits of the body positivity movement. The conversation concludes with thoughts about how people can identify and find treatment for binge eating.

On this episode, Catherine and Francis are joined by Dr. Kim Daniels, a licensed clinical psychologist and online coach with practices in Hartford, Connecticut. In both practices, Kim works with women who are struggling with emotional eating, "overeating", and binge eating. She has been working with such women for 20 years now, and continues to be passionate about helping women to change their rel...

In this digest episode, Francis and Catherine reflect on their conversation with Marla Mervis-Hartmann about healing from disordered approaches to eating and movement to find body acceptance and love. Catherine shares the freeing experience of participating in dance classes outside without mirrors during the pandemic. Francis explores the concepts of body neutrality, body positivity, body acceptan...

In the second part of this episode, Marla Mervis-Hartmann -- founder and creator of the "Love Your Body Love Yourself" speaking series, workshops, and coaching programs -- shares how she helps clients through their journeys to learning to love their bodies. She looks beyond low self-esteem to dig deep with clients, helping them tap into their fears, childhood experiences and traumas, and their dee...

In the first of this two-part episode, Marla Mervis-Hartmann -- founder and creator of the "Love Your Body Love Yourself" speaking series, workshops, and coaching programs -- shares her journey experiencing a dysfunctional body-relationship and eating disorder, and how surrendering to a higher power and constantly reframing negative thinking (along with other techniques) helped propel her towards...

In This Week's Digest, Catherine and Francis reflect on their conversation with Rachel Crow, discussing the common belief around having to be "sick enough" to deserve treatment and how it's important to give yourself permission to seek help and support when you need it. Finally, the co-hosts begin to unwrap the differences and intersection of body acceptance, body positivity, and body neutrality.

Thanksgiving can be a challenging and triggering day for many. Catherine and Francis wanted to take a moment to offer support and strategies to help manage difficult emotions and thoughts. Remember, you are not responsible for the feelings and responses from others. You are allowed to set your boundaries. And you are allowed to create joy for yourself. You got this!

Rachel Crow is a 20-something year old navigating post-graduate life. She is passionate about advocating for the development of healthy body image for all, but specifically young women with physical disabilities. She would like every young adult to realize they have value outside of their appearance and to love their body for its uniqueness and what it does to sustain life. In Part 2 of our conver...

Rachel Crow is a 20-something year old navigating post-graduate life. She is passionate about advocating for the development of healthy body image for all, but specifically young women with physical disabilities. She would like every young adult to realize they have value outside of their appearance and to love their body for its’ uniqueness and what it does to sustain life. She joins the podcast...

Catherine and Francis reflect on their conversation with Jess Sprengle, LPC and mental health advocate. Francis discusses the benefits and challenges in sharing his lived experience with clients he sees clinically, and the hosts break down their perspective on what it means to say that the client cannot fail, the treatment can. Enjoy!

In Part 2 of our discussion, Jess Sprengle, LPC, discusses the importance – and quite frankly vitalness – of improving the education about eating disorders for all providers across the mental health and medical professions. Jess shares that given the prevalence of eating disorders among all identities, the high mortality rate, and deeply rooted stigma around food, body, and weight, the need for in...

We're thrilled to welcome Jess Sprengle, LPC and mental health advocate, to the podcast! Jess -- who has been working with clients experiencing eating disorders for over five years -- brings a roll her sleeves up and get in there with you approach to her therapeutic work. She is passionate about helping children, adolescents, and adults find peace with food, work toward finding a “home” in their b...

Catherine and Francis reflect on their conversation with Chrissy Beach, MSW, LCSW about cognitive behavioral therapy and family intervention in eating disorder treatment and recovery. Francis shares how CBT adds value to treatment and acknowledges the barriers of family treatment in recovery, particularly for trans and gender diverse individuals. Catherine speaks about the importance of what each...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Chrissy Beach, MSW, LCSW, she shares her reasoning for the vitalness of family, chosen family, and support system involvement in eating disorder treatment and recovery. We end our conversation as we always do, asking Chrissy what she would say to folks experiencing eating disorders looking for a path forward.

In Part 1 of Catherine and Francis' discussion with Christine (Chrissy) Beach, MSW, LCSW, our guest provides an overview of strengths and areas of growth for cognitive behavioral therapy and rational emotive behavioral therapy as effective modalities in treating eating disorders, as well as sharing her expertise on why involving family, chosen family, and supports can be important to the recovery...

Catherine and Francis reflect on their conversation with Syd Yang, a mixed race queer/non-binary healer, writer, intuitive artist and healing justice organizer. Francis reflects on Syd's message about what it means to create space for an eating disorder to co-exist, and Catherine shares an experience about how body liberation has been part of her recovery journey.

In the final segment of this remarkable conversation, Syd shares their experiencing writing their book, Release: A Bulimia Story. Syd shares how this story is about love that became toxic, and how they were able to survive in a world without this other being telling them what to do. Finally, Syd reflects on what they would share with someone experiencing an eating disorder. Their message is simple...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Syd, they share their perspectives on body liberation, providing space to consider what liberation means and is for individuals. Syd talks about surviving in a world that saw their body as "wrong" and how connecting with support outside of western treatment and practices can be -- and was -- a liberating moment. Please join us on Wednesday, October 21 for the fin...

In Part 1 of Catherine and Francis’ conversation with Syd Yang (they/them) – a mixed race queer/non-binary healer, writer, intuitive artist and healing justice organizer – they talk about how magic, possibility, and intention are held at the core of Syd’s practice. They walk listeners through a story of connection and community, and how little moments of connection are transformative. And finally,...

Francis and Catherine reflect on their conversation with Krista, who contributed to Hope for Recovery: Stories of Healing from Eating Disorders. They talk about Krista's compelling image of the broccoli in the teeth or the toilet paper on the shoe and how those micro-embarrassing moments of being called out for something (weight, diet, fundamental personality traits) has impacted them.

In this episode, Krista Hutcherson, who contributed to the book Catherine co-edited, Hope for Recovery: Stories of Healing from Eating Disorders, shares her recovery story. Krista had a long and circuitous recovery journey with several ups and downs, including struggles with dysfunctional marriages and trauma. She persevered and sought help from her family and found solace in her faith and spiritu...